Flue cleaner



Sept. 6, 1938. E. w. JACOBSON 2,129,091

FLUE CLEANER Filed June 23, 195'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 6, 1938. E. w. JACOBSON 2,129,091

' FLUE CLEANER Filed June 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheec'Z Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to fiuecleaners and has to do more particularly with improved construction of flue cleaners of the type utilizing flexible metallic blades to remove foreign matter from flues.

An object of the present invention is to provide in a flue cleaner tool a novel manner of assembling the flexible blades in groups.

Another object of the present invention is to provide, in a flue cleaner tool employing a plurality of thin flexible blades, means affording straight line transverse bearing support for the blades in spaced relation to the tool stem so that the tendency of the'blades to break in service is materially reduced.

A further object of the present invention is to provide, an improved cleaner tool employing a plurality of cutting blades, means mounting the blades in groups, which groups are connected together to prevent relative rotation of the groups of blades, while allowing rotative movement of the assembly of the groups of blades on a tool stem inthe event the tool encounters particularly resistive incrustations within the flues being cleaned.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in an improved cleaner tool of the class described, a plurality of groups of blades, and means whereby the blades of any group, when assembled on the tool stem are angularly spaced with respect to blades of an adjoining or adjacent group so as to provide a spiral arrangement'of the cutting ends of the blades in the completed tool.

.The above other and further objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawlngs.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure 1 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a tube or flue showing the cleaner of the present invention in place, with the cleaner shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is an axial longitudinal sectional view through the cleaner of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the illustrated form of cleaner. v

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line IVIV of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a view of the reverse or rear faces of two of the plates utilized for grouping cutting 5 blades, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of one of the plates.

Figure '7 is an explosion view of the two blades and two plates utilized for forming the blade assembly of the present invention, and showing the relative relation of the blades and plates as arranged in assembling the blades in groups.

The drawings will now be explained.

The flue cleaner of the embodiment herein illustrated includes a stem I which is cylindrical, and a head 2 integrally connected to or formed with the stem 1. The stem I is threaded at its opposite end.

The head 2 is counterbored and threaded to receive the threaded end of a rod 3, to the extremity of which is applied a handle for actuating the flue cleaner tool.

Assembled on the stem 1 are groups A of blade assemblies. Abutting the head 2 is a dished end member 4 arranged with its greater periphery toward the blades.

Between the bottom 5 of the dish shaped member 4 and the first group of blades are spacers 6 which arefashioned from flat metal formed to provide marginal flange portions '1, bosses 8 and central webs 9, which latter are apertured to receive the stem 1. These spacers are arranged on the stem in the manner illustrated in Figure 2 to space the first group of blades from the peripheral margin of the member 4. Three such spacers are shown, although it is obvious that more or less might be used.

The blades are made preferably of watch spring stock and are blanked in generally rectangular form as shown in Figure 7. The blades B are fashioned with centrally disposed apertures II] to receive the shaft or stem 1, curved ends H which are struck on a radius having its center in the center of an aperture IE1. Preferably the ends of the blades are notched as at I2 to thus provide legs 13 and 14 at the extremities of the blades. Surrounding the central aperture ID are openings 15 arranged as shown in square outline.

The blades B are grouped two to a group, arrangedwith their longitudinal axes at right angles to each other.

For grouping the blades in the manner described, spacer devices are provided. The devices include two halves, or plates, 0.

The spacer plates are fashioned from flat metal to provide on the front or obverse faces thereof bosses I6, which bosses are formed with flanges ll, apertured at 18 to receive the stem 1 of the tool. The margins of the plates are outturned, toward the front or obverse faces of the plates as at I9 of the spacers 6,

for a purpose to be later described. Formed in the flanges ll of the bosses are notches 2!] ar ranged with their center lines on a radius of the central apertures I8. Also formed in the flanges ll opposite the centers of the apertures l8 from the notches 20 are other notches 2| which are formed by striking up tongues 22. The longitudinal center lines of the notches 2! are formed on radial lines, but angularly spaced a slight distance from the center lines of the notches 20. In the drawings, referring to Fig. 5, the center line of the notch 2| is approximately 11 or 12 displaced from the center line of the notch 20. angular difference could be greater sired in accordance with the amount of lead de-' sired for the cutting edges of the several-blades of the tool.

Punched in opposite diagonal corners ofthe' plates C are holes 23 and 24. In the other diagonal corners of the plates cylindrical projections 25 are formed by punching, or otherwise, which projections are of sufficient length to extend through two of the apertures H5 in twoblades B and through the apertures 23 and 24 in the mating plate.

Fig. '7 illustrates the two blades and two plates used in the present invention to constitute a blade assembly or group.

Iniassembling such a group, a spacer 6 is applied over the stem l in the position I) of Figure'"2,-that is; withits concave side presented to receive the boss I6 of the first plate C.

The first plate is applied against the spacer 6 in the position D in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, that is, with its boss 16 lying within the concavity of the spacer. A blade B is applied over the stem and two of the apertures 15 ap plied over the'projections 25 of the first plate.

A second blade is applied over the stem and disposed with its longitudinal axis at 90 to the first plate, and two of its apertures I applied over the projections 25 of the first plate. Next the second plate is applied over the stem with its rear or reverse space against the second blade, and so positioned as to have its apertures 23 and 24 receive the projections 25 of the first plate. Accordingly the two blades and the two plates are assembled in operative relationship in a manner to prevent relative rotation of the plates and blades with respect to one another. However, the assembly is such that it may, as a unit; rotate with respect to the stem l.

A third plate C is applied to the stem with its flange l1 against the flange ll of the second mentioned plate 'in'the first assembly and its notch 20 applied over the tongue 22 of the second plate of the first assembly. Such arrangement disposes thetongue 22 of the second plate in the notch 20 of the third plate, thereby connecting these plates together against relative rotative movement. Because of the angularity existing between the center lines of the notches 20 and 2|, the third plate will stand in angular relationship to the second plate. Such angular relationship may be readily observed in Fig. 4.

The second group of plates is assembled in the manner heretofore described and additional groups arranged on thestem until the stem is substantially occupied by the groups of blades.

After the last group of blades has been applied to the stem, another spacer 6 in the position'E is applied over the endmost plate C of the end group with its concavity overlying the boss of the plate, as'may be observed in Fig. 2 Then two arranged'in flange to flange ar or less as de: the notches 2B of rangement, are placed over the stem and a second dished member 26 applied over the end of the stem, arranged opening toward the blades. The spacers and the groups of plates so mounted together with the dished members 4 and'26 are retained in assembled relationship on the stem l by means of a nut 21 screwed over the threaded end of the stem, which nut in turn is locked in place by a lock nut 28. The nut 21 is tightened to compressthe plates and blades together to assure that the blades are properly, clamped between their respective plates and also to assure :p'O SltlVe engagement of the several tongues with the plates, to prevent relative "rotative movement of any blade or any plate,

and to connect together the plates and the blades for rotative movement, as a unit, or whole, with respect tothestem.

The plates C are preferably square and are substantially of the width of the blades B. Referring to Fig,'it will be observed that when'the plates and blades are assembled as described, the plates have substantial surface bearing against blades with the legs 13 and I4 of the blades projecting beyond the plates.

The bending and formation of the flanges -l9 on the plates outwardly from the rear faces of the plates afford curved shoulders to prevent undue bending of the legs of the blades, in the event that the tool should encounter hard incrustationson the interior of the tubes being cleaned, and thus prevent breakage of the blades, which otherwise might occur.

' All of the blades B are of similar form and construction so that they may be used interchangeably without selection.

In like manner, all of the plates C are of similar construction so that any two of the plates may be utilized for backing any two blades to produce the group assembly of the present invention.

The construction of the notches 20 and 2| as described,'-enables spiral arrangement of the several groups of blades when arranged on the stem 1 of the tool so that a lead of the cutting edges of the blades is thus effected.

When the flue cleaning tool of the-present invention is-inserted in a tube or-flue, the legs of the blades are twisted with respect to their width causing these blades to work with plow action for cleaning purposes. The flue cleaner tool may be given forward and backward movement throughout the extent of the length of the flue or tube and the plow action of the blades against the incrusted matter quickly loosens such matter and removes it from the flues. It has been found that tubes or flues may be adequately cleaned, using the tool of the present invention by simply moving the tool forward and backward without rotating or oscillating it in the tubes.

However, under certain conditions of incrustation, it is necessary to oscillate the tool to adequately cut the incrustation away from the flue. It sometimes so happens that on oscillating the tool the incrustation is particularly resistive to cutting actionin which event the blades might stick and oppose rotative movement.

In such event, the tool of the present invention permits rotative movement'of the rod 3 when the tool is stuck against rotation in a flue, without damage to the tool structure. When this occurs, the tool is utilized by forward and backward movement to cut away the incrustation, or to remove the ,tool from the flue.

By making the blades in the manner herein illustrated, that is with the legs I3 and Hi thereof relatively short, and separating these legs by V-notches l2, added strength is given to the blades. Furthermore, by'supporting these blades transversely of their width, by the plates C in the manner described, and in the neighborhood of the troughs of the V-notches l2, longer life of the blades is secured under service conditions.

The purpose of the dished members 4 and 26 is to protect the blades of the tool, while being removed from a flue. On introduction of the tool to a heavily incrusted flue, the forward dished member 26 will tend to break down some of the incrustation so that the following blades may escape being submitted to a too heavy cutting action on introduction of the tool into a flue or tube.

By making the blades B of uniform outline and construction and also by making the plates C similar, the cost of manufacturing the blades and plates is reduced to a minimum with the result that an eflective flue cleaning tool may be manufactured to sell at an attractive price.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be under stood that the invention is not to be limited thereby as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts, and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. As an article of manufacture, a bearing and spacer plate of substantially square outline, said plate having a central apertured boss outstanding from its front or obverse face with a flange defining the aperture, said flange having a radial notch in it opening to the aperture, and an outstruck tongue in the flange angularly displaced a predetermined distance from the center line of the notch, the construction being such that when the bosses of two plates are in contact the tongue of one will enter the notch of the other to fix the two plates in angularly different positions with respect to each other.

2. A flue cleaning too] including a stem, a plurality of thin spring metal blades on said stem arranged in spaced pairs, a pair of square spacer members per pair of blades arranged with their rear faces against the blades and having bosses outstanding from their front faces for spacing the pairs of blades axially along the stem and affording straight line bearings for the blades out- Wardly of the stem, the said bosses having interengaging means for spacing the pairs of blades angularly with respect to one another and for connecting said pairs of blades together for rotative movement as a unit with respect to the stem, and the said spacer members having means interlocking the spacers and blades of a pair against relative rotative movement.

3. A cutting blade assembly for a stem type flue cleaner; comprising two thin spring metal blades provided with central apertures for the tool stem, and a spacer device comprising two similar halves of polygonal outline in plan centrally apertured for the tool stem; each half of the spacer device having a hle in the face thereof and having a projection on the surface thereof; said holes being aligned with said projections in the assembled positions of said spacers; each of said blades having holes so disposed as to provide clearance space for said projections; said blades and halves being assembled on the tool stem with the two blades at right angles to each other and with a projection of one half passed through holes of the blades and into a hole of the other half to thereby connect said halves and blades together against relative rotative movement.

ERIK W. JACOBSON. 

